What should Exit agents do if a situation feels unsafe?
Exit Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- Meeting Clients: New clients should always be met in a public or office setting, with identification verified before showings. Meetings in secluded locations should be avoided.
- Open House Safety: Hosting open houses with a colleague or industry partner enhances safety.
- Transportation Precautions: Agents should avoid getting into a client's vehicle and should not transport clients in personal vehicles unless adequately insured, as company policies may not provide coverage.
- Check-in Protocols: Keeping a colleague, office staff, or family member informed of schedules and expected locations, along with establishing check-in times, is advised.
- Escape Awareness: Agents should be mindful of exit routes when showing properties and avoid enclosed spaces, such as basements, with clients.
- Self-Defense & Deterrents Self-defense training and carrying personal safety tools, such as pepper spray, a whistle, or a high-intensity flashlight, are recommended.
- Trust Instincts: If a situation feels unsafe, agents should prioritize personal safety and remove themselves from the interaction.
By following these precautions and remaining aware of surroundings, agents can reduce risks and maintain a safer working environment.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPT (FDD pages 42–235)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Exit's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, if an agent feels unsafe, they should prioritize their personal safety and remove themselves from the interaction. Exit provides several safety precautions for its agents. These include meeting new clients in public or office settings and verifying identification before showings, avoiding meetings in secluded locations, and hosting open houses with a colleague or industry partner.
Exit agents are advised to avoid getting into a client's vehicle and not to transport clients in personal vehicles unless adequately insured, as company policies may not provide coverage. Agents should also keep a colleague, office staff, or family member informed of their schedules and expected locations, and establish check-in times. When showing properties, agents should be mindful of exit routes and avoid enclosed spaces, such as basements, with clients.
Exit also recommends self-defense training and carrying personal safety tools, such as pepper spray, a whistle, or a high-intensity flashlight. By following these precautions and remaining aware of their surroundings, Exit agents can reduce risks and maintain a safer working environment. The emphasis on personal safety and providing agents with tools and strategies to protect themselves is a notable aspect of Exit's operational guidelines.